Portable breastwork.



aamm UEVECESQ W. G. HOFFMANN.

PORTABLE BREASTWORK, APPLICATION FILED APR-7,1917.

1,256,562. Patganted F9b.'19, 1918.

IN VEN TOR. W. 6. HOFFMAN/V m5 ATTOINEY5 091. sates, Beam lilUHlbHUN ANSREL/Um DEVEQES.

nnrrnn STATES earner onnrcn.

WILLIAM G. I-IOFFMANN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

PORTABLE BREASTWORK.

Application filed April 7, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLIAM Gr. Horr- MANN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of the city and county of San Francisco, State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful Portable Breastwork, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to protective shields for use in warfare.

An object of my invention is to provide a portable breastwork with whicha soldier may protect himself against rifle fire.

Another object of my invention is to provide a shield adapted to befolded for transportation and which may readily be unfolded and set inthe ground to furnish protection to a soldier lying down.

The invention possesses other features of advantage, some of which, withthe foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of thePreferred form of my invention which is illustrated in the drawingsaccompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to beunderstood that I do not limit myself to the showing made by the saiddrawings and description, as I may adopt variations of the preferredform within the scope of my invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the device showing the hinged plates lyingin the same, plane.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the rear of the device showing theplates in angular relation and ready to be set in position in theground.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the smooth front of the breastwork.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the two plates folded together fortransportation.

Fig. 5 is a side view showing one of the ways in which the breastworkmay be set up.

Broadly, my invention comprises two plates of highly resistant materialhinged to gether and adapted to be carried by the individual soldier.The plates are arranged to be opened and set in the ground to furnish ashelter behind which the soldier may lie in comparative security fromfrontal rifle fire. One of the plates is slotted to receive a riflebarrel so that the soldier may fire his own rifle without undueexposure. It is contemplated that my portable breastwork will find itschief uses not necessarily as a part Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

Serial No. 160,547.

of the soldiers regular equipment, but rather in attack over open groundor in furnishing shelter to sharpshooters in exposed positions. It mayalso be used to augment the value of any low hummock, or of a fewshovelfuls of dirt quickly thrown up to form a shallow trench, and inthis connection its value is obvious.

The portable breastwork comprises a main plate 2 to which a second plate3 is attached by hinges 1. Preferably the hinge line is a short distancein from the edge of plate 2 so that while the plate 3 can be opened outfiat to lie in substantially the same plane", with plate 2, it cannot beturned back on the opposite side. In this method of hinging the platestogether, the overhanging margin of the main plate furnishes completeprotection to the long, narrow space between the plates which the hingesnecessitate. A hook 5 is attached to one of the plates and two eyes 6and 7 attached to the other plate. When the plates are fully extended asshown in Fig. 1, the hook is engaged in eye 6 to retain the plates inthis position. When the plates are arranged in angular relation as inFig. 2, the hook is engaged in eye 7.

In order to avoid unnecessary weight, the plates are made very thin andfor this reason it is desirable to avoid placing them pen; pendicular tothe probable path of the bullets, which they are designed to deflectrather than stop. For this reason the plates are arranged preferably inone of the two positions illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5. In either casethe exposed faces of the plates offer a smooth, slanting surface whichwill deflect any bullet or small shell fragment not striking from adirection perpendicular to the surface.

Means are provided for fixing the plates in the earth. Pivoted adjacentthe lower edge of each plate is a stake 9. Normally the stakes arefolded within the edge of the plates as shown in Fig. l where they areheld by raised buttons 12 fixed in the surface of the plate. The naturalspring in the stake is relied on to hold it in position between thebuttons 12. Buttons 13 are provided to offer suflicient resistance tothe turning of the stake out of the extended position to hold themextended preparatory to pushing them into the ground. When the platesare to be set up in angular relation as in Fig. 3, only the stakes 9 areneededand the breastwork is erected with the plates approximatelyperpendicular to the surface of the ground.

Means are provided for supporting the plates at an angle to the groundsurface, comprising stakes 15, one of which is pivoted on each side nearthe top. A lip 16 is formed integral with the stake 15 to limit itsoutward swing from the plate and normally the stake is held against theplate by fixed hooks 17 under which the stake may be sprung. When it isdesired to have as extended a shelter as possible, or to use the deviceas a unit in a series forming a continuous line, the plates are openedand latched in the extended position, both sets of stakes 9 and 15extended, and the plates set in the ground at an angle as shown in Fig.5.

Handles 18 are affixed to each plate to facilitate handling them.Preferably each handle is pivoted in a socket 19 formed so that thehandle may swing in against the plate when the plates are foldedtogether, but cannot swing past the perpendicular position. The socketsare sufliciently close together so that the two handles may be graspedtogether as one.

All the fittings on the plates are arranged alinement or in angularrelation with the plates substantially vertical, and means forsupporting said breastwork upon the ground in either position.

2. A portable breastwork comprising a main plate, and a second platehinged to said main plate in a line spaced from the edge thereof wherebya portion of the main plate projects across the hinge opening betweensaid plates.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at San Francisco,California, this 2d day of April, 1917.

WVILLIAM Gr. HOFF MANN In presence of C. S. EVANS.

Copies 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G.

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